Alex Eala is through to the quarterfinals of the Berlin Tennis Open.

The Filipina tennis standout defeated World No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 7-5, 6-4, in the tournament’s Round of 16, securing one of the biggest wins of her 2026 campaign so far.

Eala, currently ranked No. 35 in the world, held her ground against the higher-ranked Rybakina throughout the match, using precise shot-making and strong court coverage to claim the straight-sets victory. The 21-year-old sealed the win with a crosscourt forehand winner after one hour and 36 minutes of play.

The result comes just over a month after the pair met at the Italian Open, where Rybakina prevailed in straight sets. This time, Eala reversed the outcome to book her place in the final eight of the WTA 500 grass-court tournament. 

Before facing Rybakina, Eala opened her Berlin campaign with a straight-sets victory over Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

The win marked Eala’s fifth career victory against a Top 10 opponent. Following the match, the Filipina shared that she immediately called her father to celebrate the result, while her mother was present in Berlin to witness the victory.

Eala will next compete in the quarterfinal round as she continues her run at the Berlin Tennis Open.